THREE
TALL BLACKS IN RAMS SQUAD
27 MARCH 2001
By
Matthew Stephens and Piet Van Hasselt
Three Canterbury Rams have been named in a
25-strong Tall Black squad for the 2001 campaign.
Rams captain Dave Langrell, power forward Andrew
Gardiner and young forward Luke Ruscoe will
attend the first of three scheduled camps in
Nelson from the 6th to the 8th
of April.
The Nelson camp will
be the first opportunity for players to impress
the new coaching staff of the Tall Blacks. Tab
Baldwin of Auckland will coach the team along
with assistant Nenad Vucinic from Nelson.
Langrell and Gardiner are returning to the squad
after being included in previous years, with both
just missing selections to the Sydney 2000
Olympics team.
Over his six NBL seasons, inspirational Rams
guard Langrell has become the heart and soul of
the Rams outfit. His leadership both on and off
the court and electrifying play on offence and
defence make him a vital cog in the Rams engine.
With his powerfully built 2.03m 112kg frame, Tall
Black veteran Gardiner always proves a handful
for opponents on the court. He had an excellent
2000 season, placing him as the 6th
best kiwi in the NBL Tendex ratings.
Ruscoe makes the move from the New Zealand Junior
ranks to the Tall Blacks for the first time. He
is an exciting swingman who can play both guard
and forward positions and is noted for his strong
outside shot and tough defence.
Highlights for the Tall Blacks this year include
the Goodwill Games in Brisbane in early
September, followed by a home series against long
time rivals Australia, with the winner earning a
place in the 2002 World Championships in
Indianapolis, USA.
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